The weather system has sparked "danger to life" warnings as the UK is on course to be thrashed by the remnants of the storm, which has set the record for the strongest hurricane to hit east of the Atlantic.

But while The Met Office has issued a series of weather warnings for across the UK, forecasters are predicting this will only affect the north and west of the UK and is likely to miss the south east altogether.

Forecaster Katie Greening, of The Weather Channel, said forecast models are coming into agreement that Ophelia will become a deep low pressure system Monday morning as it approaches the UK, with some stormy conditions expected.

She said: "Ophelia is expected to begin extra-tropical transition on Sunday night and into Monday morning.

"Ophelia will begin to weaken to a strong and vigorous baroclinic low, while entering the mid-latitudes and cooler waters but retain it tropical characteristics with a relatively warm core and powerful winds.

"Branches will be torn off many trees, roads will be blocked by falling debris"

The worst of the conditions are predicted to centre mainly to the north and west of the country, where road, rail, air and ferry disruption, power cuts and lack of mobile phone coverage will be likely.

Areas of Northern Ireland, Scotland, northern England, Wales and the south-west should brace for frequent outbreaks of rain predicted to edge eastwards, alongside blustery winds of 55 to 65mph.

Dr. Dave Reynolds, senior forecaster of The Weather Channel, said there is a danger to life, especially for parts of Ireland, with moderate risk to structural damage likely and high risk of trees being uprooted.

He added: "Branches will be torn off many trees, roads will be blocked by falling debris and flooding and blackouts are likely as debris fall on the low voltage distribution network and (moderate risk) lower circuits of the transmission network."

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The colossal storm system is currently thundering through the Atlantic Ocean in a north-easterly direction, around 295 miles away from the Portuguese Azores, with gusts of 105mph.

On Saturday the hurricane strengthened to category three status, with peak winds near 115 mph, before weakening back down to a category 2 hurricane Sunday morning.

However, cold sea temperatures mean Ophelia will not be strong enough to be labelled as a hurricane when it reaches the UK, instead it will be extra-tropical.

Forecaster Hannah Findley, of The Weather Channel, said thermometers are forecast to peak on Monday, and then gradually decrease over the following week and a half to near normal for the time of year.

She said: "The initial increase is due to warmer, African air being drawn northwards by deep areas of low pressure, which used to be hurricanes Nate and Ophelia."